Getting parents involved is beneficial to the child and classroom. I grew up with my parents, and my friends' parents, being involved in our school and it made the school much more like a family - a community. The research seems to agree that it is beneficial as well.

I like the idea of student-lead conferences because of the student involvement and "Student Accountability" (Kinney, n.d.). My only concern is that is still very much tied to the traditional idea that conferencing is a special event that only happens twice a year. I prefer the idea that "The same parents who might browse a school website a few times a year are apt to be on Facebook every day" (Edutopia, n.d.). The conferencing can be a part of the communication strategy, but I would not depend on it as the main avenue for communicating with parents. I would like to set up a interface that can be used, like Google Docs or something similar, that can be used to submit homework, upload homework/classwork, and correct work that is password protected but the parents have access too. This would encourage the same level of motivation for the same reason as student-lead conferencing because the parents will be asking about their work and seeing the results of their efforts. This also aligns with consistant and constructive formative assessment feedback that can be actionable (Wiggins, 2012). The student has corrections they can use to fix or rewrite the work for a second submission. I want to encourage the idea that the parents are involved, not just in knowing how their child is performing, but helping them better their performance. Also, making conferencing a special event sends the message that communicating is a special event, which it should not be.

Communicating more often means less time preparing for communicating. The steps for preparing for the conference seemed like it would take a bit of time in class getting the students ready. If that time isn't incorporated into the class goals and the larger picture, it could be time spent not working toward the course goals. It could be beneficial by getting the students involved in their own assessment, but I worry that, at least in Korea, it would morph into a show, as is the case with Open Classes currently practiced here commonly. The show we put on for the parents here tends to distract us from actual learning to make it appear that their kids are doing well and we have a good portfolio to show them. This really depends on the ability to sell the idea to parents. Perhaps in America, parents are more apt to accept the reality of the child's progress, but from my experience in education in Korea, that is still too rare to be practical here.

Just one more note, I also want to send the message that each of the parents is important and a part of the community and having the child take care of the majority of the conference makes it seem like it's less personal with the teachers. The conferencing with students in ESL classes would be beneficial with language barriers, but if that does not exist, I can imagine parents would still want their time with the teacher in private to discuss behavior and/or advice on what to encourage their kids to do at home and so on. This problem would be better served with regular updates on social media, parent access to graded work, and direct communication with teachers either with email, blog, or staggered meetings to make time for the parents.

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." (Martin Luther King jr.)

Woman on the Bus

A woman looks at her phone on a bus in downtown Seoul, 2015

Seoul Protest 2015

People from around 120 unions and groups organized the protests on Saturday, December 5th, that saw thousands marching through downtown Seoul. Many people carried signs that said roughly "listen to the people" as they feel the current government is not working for the people but for the Chaebol (large corporations).

Mask Dance

Thousands took to the streets to protest several government plans in Seoul on Saturday, December 5th. They were told not to wear masks because of the "threat of ISIS". The protesters responded by wearing thousands of masks, some dancing traditional samulnori along the way.

Shoulder View

Getting a better view of the traditional Korean dancing at the Bupyeong Festival, this girl sits on dad's shoulders.

Angled Emotion

A man picks up recycling in the city while a little girl pouts in the doorway behind him.

Framing the Street

Tucked into an alley in northern Seoul, graffiti hides as people walk past.

The Clown

A performer prepares to entertain children on Children's Day at Children's Grand Park in Seoul.

Yellow Dust Love

A couple gets intimate during yellow dust season in Myeongdong. "Yellow Dust" is the polluted air that drifts from the Gobi Desert, picking up coal pollution over the cities of China, to Korea.

Rock Reflection

Cape Disappointment, Washington

Launch Pad to the Universe

The Milky Way jetting up from the peaks at Colonial in the North Cascades, Washington

Watercolor Sky

The colors of sunset above Eastern Jeju Island, South Korea

The Race

Two shooting stars race across the night sky at Liberty Bell Peak, Washington

Mt. St. Helens

From Johnston Ridge

The Girl with the Mask

"Park Geun Hye resign" is written across her mask. She speaks loudly without noise in the crowd f nearly a million protesting the president of South Korea on 11/12

Monk in the Front

A million people took to the streets on 11/12 to protest the president in one of the largest protests in Korean history. Many religious leaders joined together to hold signs that read "Park Geun Hye resign"

Man with Candle

One of a million protesting the president of South Korea on 11/12, holding a candle for the vigil and marching to show his support of the president stepping down.

Helping Hands

These girls help this man light his candle as night falls over approximately a million people in the streets of downtown Seoul on 11/12.

Anti-Government DJ Spinning

A DJ spins music for the crowd of protesters on 11/12 as they march against the president of Korea.

A Family Marches

A family marches with candles during the protest on 11/12 that saw a million people spill into the streets of downtown Seoul.

Flying

Flying on the shoulders of her father, this girl had a VIP view of the million person protest against the president on 11/12

Spectacle

Overlooking the crowd in the square, a man surveys the scene. Lights, musicians, food stalls, and a million people peacefully protesting the president and chanting in waves, "Park Geun Hye resign".

Tiring Protest

A little girl yawns on her father's shoulders late into the night as they continue to march against the president.